Keep Shell and ConocoPhillips out of the Arctic Ocean

Action needed by 21, 2011

Both Royal Dutch Shell and ConocoPhillips plan to drill in the Arctic Ocean by 2013 (and Shell even sooner in 2012). Right now the EPA is considering Clean Air permits for two drilling rigs planned for the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. There are many problems with the permits, which would allow the drilling rigs to emit more air pollution than they account for.

Email lindsey.hajduk@sierraclub.org for more information and talking points so you can get the right message to the EPA: Don't allow dirty drilling in the Arctic Ocean!

Take Action:

Public Hearings: The following public hearings will be held in Barrow and Anchorage, Alaska. Teleconference for Barrow hearings is available at North Slope Borough teleconference centers.

More Information:

Would allow exploration drilling operations July 1 - November 30, in the Beaufort Sea. Shell wants to drill within 25 miles of Alaska's coast.

The permit will cover the Kulluk drillship, two icebreakers, multiple resupply vessels/barge and tug combinations, an oil spill response vessel, and a number of oil spill response work boats.

EPA has not required that Shell protect air quality within the entire outer continental shelf and coastal areas because there is a 500-meter buffer around the drill ship they turn a blind eye to.

Shell will pollute the air almost to its maximum allowed standards, and what will happen when other drill ships get involved is yet to be determined! Shell could cause 24-hour fine particulate matter standards to reach 97% of national ambient air quality standards and 1-hour nitrogen dioxide concentrations to reach 81% of those air quality standards.

Conoco Clean Air Act Permit - 2013 Chukchi Sea:

Would allow exploration between July 1 - November 30, in the Chukchi Sea, 60-92 miles from the Alaskan coast.

The permit will cover a jack-up drill rig, two icebreakers, two oil spill response vessels, an oil spill response tanker, five 34-foot workboats, two offshore supply vessels, a ware vessel, an anchor handling tug supply vessel, and a research vessel.

Like the Kulluk, the EPA will not monitor air quality within 500 meters of the drill ship.

Air pollution again will be high with 1-hour nitrogen dioxide concentrations to reach 98% of national ambient air quality standards and 24-hour fine particulate matter standards to reach 90% of those air quality standards. Region 10 has not considered how Shell and Conoco’s potential operations will impact and highten air pollution in the Arctic.